Gov’t begins 3-day cabinet retreat to assess COVID-19 impact on economy
The government is set to begin a three-day cabinet retreat to review the impact of the deadly coronavirus pandemic on the economy.
The three-day retreat would serve as an opportunity for cabinet to review data gathered on the effects of COVID-19 on all sectors.
The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, made this known at the press briefing Thursday morning.
The sector minister noted that the information gathered from the three-day cabinet retreat would help in putting together the 2020 mid-year budget review.
He mentioned that the government now had more concrete data on the impact of COVID-19 on the various sectors including education and health.
“President Akufo-Addo and his cabinet over the next three days will commence a process of examining data so far gathered on the impact of COVID-19 across all sectors in Ghana.
“The President has instructed all ministers to present reports on their sectors and proffer recommendations for recovery at a cabinet retreat starting today [Thursday] and will go on for the next three days.
“The Government of Ghana will examine the observed impact, the recommendations that are being made, the implications and this will enhance preparations for laying same before Parliament during the mid-year review,” he said.
Many businesses, schools, churches, funeral homes and other sectors have been affected since the country recorded its first case of the deadly pandemic on March 12.
A number of organisations were forced to close down as a preventive measure to curtail the spread of the virus.
The government, in its quest to cushion businesses within this period, announced a GH₵600,000 stimulus package to help small and medium-scale enterprises survive the devastating effects of the coronavirus lockdown.